Do I have to?????
I think Oryx would have tasted better then my tag and I am darn sure it would have looked REALLY good in my basement. No I ddidn't get anything. I am really bummed for the last day or two and I am sure each time I see or hear of Oryx for a long time. They are so darn pretty, fun to hunt and neat to see walking around. If I could get the tag again I would tell all of you that it doesn't really bug me because it was so fun. But it does bug me in this case. The hunt was a blast and I crawled and walked like a duck through a lot of white sands(thorns and rocks.
At this point I would suggest with out question apply for the tag it is awesome. Do not drive the roads to keep looking for them, get out and glass off the roads. I still have not figured out how in the heck to stalk close to them as they see you from about 1,000yds. I really would bet a lot that given one more day I would kill one early in the day. I found a spot were they were and learned that they visit it all day. I would have been there at first light and not moved tell they came to me.
Ok day one no good shooting opurtunity. Day two on the way to a tank(which was dry) I spotted some Oryx at about 1.5 miles. We drove to the tank and planned the stalk. We got to about 8ooyds before they were heading the other way. So we busted butt back to the car(25 minutes) to try driving around them. Just as I got back to the tank there was a small one standing 400yds away. We got to the car and glassed the flat again, I found two more groups of Oryx. Back across we go for 30 min. we found the group to the right and couldnt find the ones to the left. We moved and crawled to about 700 yds before I found the ones to the left and I couldn't move. They anded up seeing me or my girl friend, who was back spotting. They trotted away at about 500yds. They all(13) ran way out close to the road.
So back to the car and tank. As we got close to the tank three good Oryx took off running from darn near on top of the tank. I got off a trotting shot at them that we both said was a hit and I thought was a very good shot. They were not alarmed and stopped but I had to keep on the same animal and it was behind brush. We thought it was good when only two ran off, but I think the third vannished(which they seem to do)We searched but found no sign of a hit.
We got in the car and went and looked for the group of 13, but could not find them. We decided abut an hour later to go back to the tank een though we had disturbed it a lot. In a minute I said Tracey right in front of us, bedded. Yes, right were we had came from an hour ago there was anohter good Oryx. I rnaged a bush to the right of it at 460. there was a lot of bushes guarding it so I clawled to an area were we thought I could get a 300 yd shot. Just as I got there the Oryx stood up and I dropped down to shoot but had a little rise in the way. It then moved off into the tall brush and the hunt was pretty much ove.
Sorry so long but that's the short version! I am really bummed, but it was a lot of fun and they are a great animal. And yes if I would have stayed at the tank as we had talked about the three Oryx would have practically been eating out of my hand and I most likely would have collected a great animal. Its been years since I missed a big game animal and that hurts but not as much as not being able to hunt Oryx again.